Method of making a heat exchanger



1964 H. A. NICKOL ETAL 1.

METHOD OF MAKING A HEAT EXCHANGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 20, 1957 HAJVICKOL 7T2. WHITE INVENTORS 4C? fi fm WKMV A TTORNEKS Jan. 7, 1964 H. A. NIC'KOL ETAL METHOD OF MAKING A HEAT EXCHANGER Filed May 20, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H.A.N/CKOL 7:2. WH/ TE INVENTORS 5. C. 2 7%..

United States atent fifice 3,115,541 Patented Jan. 7, 1964 3,116,541 METHGD OF MAKING A HEAT EXCHANGER Henry A. Nichol, Detroit, and Theodore Zone White, Dearborn Township, Wayne County, Mich assignors to Ford Motor Company, Dearhorn, MiClL, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 20, 1957, Ser. No. 660,134 1 Claim. (Cl. 29157.3)

This invention relates to a heat exchanger and more particularly to a heat exchanger adapted for use with a cooling system of an internal combustion engine. It was specifically designed as a part of an internal combustion engine to control the temperature of hydraulic fluid employed in a automatic transmission. However, the invention is not so limited and has application in any fluid to fluid heat exchange system.

The present invention is intended as an improvement over the heat exchanger disclosed and claimed in our copending application Ser. No. 637,011 filed January 29, 1957, and may employ as turbulence inducing members he structure disclosed and claimed in our co-pending application Ser. No. 636,933 filed January 29, 1957, now abandoned, or that disclosed in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the application Ser. No. 637,011, or any other suitable turbulence inducing structure.

Briefly, the invention contemplates the use of an inner sheet metal member, an outer sheet metal member and a pair of turbulence inducing members having a longitudinal space therebetween positioned intermediate the two sheet metal members. The outer sheet metal memher is secured to the inner sheet metal member around the periphery of the outer member. The outer sheet metal member is then secured to the inner sheet metal member in the space between the turbulence inducing members. The outer sheet metal member is so dimensioned that a deformation will occur during the process of securing the members together so that the outer sheet metal member is forced into firm heat transferring relation with turbulence inducing members and this force is conveyed through the turbulence inducing members to secure a firm heat transferring contact between them and the inner sheet metal member.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a unique method of obtaining firm heat transferring contact between a turbulence inducing member and two sheet etal members.

This invention is best illustrated in terms of the FIG- URES of the drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of the heat exchanger prior to assembly; and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the completed heat exchanger; and

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view of the outer sheet metal member prior to assembly; and

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the completed heat exchanger with the radiator core removed, and,

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view of the completed heat exchanger taken along the lines 55 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views thereof, there is shown in FIGURE 1, an inner sheet metal member 10, which may take the form of a bottom radiater tank 27 of an internal combustion engine, an outer sheet metal member or cover 11 and two turbulence inducing members 12 having a longitudinal space 13 positioned therebetween. The inner sheet metal member 10 has stiffening ribs 14 positioned at spaced intervals and for a portion of its length to give added strength to the heat exchanger. It also may have a peripheral portion 15 for receiving a complemental flange 16 on the outer sheet metal member or cover 11. The outer sheet metal member has two raised portions 17 separated by a depression 18 which extends for a portion of the length of said outer sheet metal member.

In the assembly of the apparatus, the turbulence inducing members 12 are positioned in the raised portions 17 of the outer sheet metal member or cover and this assembly is then brought into contact with the inner sheet metal member 10. As can best be seen in reference to FIGURE 1, the outer sheet metal member is secured to the peripheral portion 15 of the inner sheet metal member 11 to form a cooler 28 for a fluid entering at one connector 22a and leaving at a second connector 221'). The joining of the flange 16 to the peripheral portion 15 may be accomplished by resistance welding or any other suitable process. In comparing FIGURES 3 and 5, it will be noted that the depression 18 is considerably more shallow in FIGURE 3 which shows the outer sheet metal member prior to assembly than it is in FIGURE 5 which shows a cross section of the completed heat exchanger. This deepening of the depression 18 is brought about by a resistance welding apparatus which supplies sufficient pressure to deform the outer sheet metal member 11 sufliciently to allow the inner face of the depression 18 to come into contact and to be secured to the inner sheet metal member 10. This deforming forces the outer sheet metal member 14 into firm heat transferring relation with the turbulence inducing members 12 and simultaneously forces the turbulence inducing members into firm heat transferring re lation with the inner sheet metal member 14 Referring to FIGURES 2 and 4, it will be seen that the depression 18 where the two sheet metal members are secured extends for only a portion of the length of the member 11, thus providing a flow path for the fluid between the two turbulence inducing members. The connectors 22a and 22b are welded to bosses 21 (see FIG- URE 3) which are positioned in the outer sheet metal member between the ends of the depression 13 and the ends of the outer sheet metal member, thus providing a connection for the fluid to be cooled.

The inner and outer sheet metal members 1th and 11 are preferably constructed of stainless steel but may be made of any metals which are capable of being secured together by resistence welding. The inner sheet metal member 10 may also serve as a portion of the external shell of a radiator tank 27 which has end portions 26. If the inner sheet metal member 10- takes the form of the radiator tank 27, there may be provided as best shown in FIGURES 1, 4 and 5, a flange 23 which may be used to receive a radiator core 29* an end portion 24 having an aperture 25 for the reception of a cooling system connector, and the end portion 26 having an aperture 27 for the reception of a drain cock.

We claim as our invention:

The process of fabricating a heat exchanger comprising placing a pair of turbulence, inducing members between a radiator tank and a cover such that the turbulence inducing members are in contact with said radiator tank and said cover and a space is provided between adjacent edges of the turbulence inducing members, securing said radiator tank and said cover together around the periphery of said cover, said cover being spaced from said radiator tank in the region between said turbulence inducing members, deforming said cover into contact with said radiator tank and securing it thereto between said turbulence inducing members along an appreciable portion of their length, thereby forcing said cover and said radiator tank into tight heat transferring relation With said turbulence inducing members.

References fitted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Potts Nov. 6, 1928 Hannegan Nov. 18, 19 30 Yeager Sept. 15, 1936 Ramsaur et al Nov. 26, 1940 Sunday Mar. 25, 1941 Panthofer May 2, 1950 Dedo June 26, 1956 Carighill Feb. 19, 1957 Holmes et a1. June 18, 1957 

